Rollo smiles warmly at Azzim.
Why my good shaman, I always have that one handy. Never know when one needs to sneak into a cave of a cyclops to steal a golden fleece.
Rollo happily complies with Terex' request.
Gift glides across the fumes and oil with no ill effects.
She arives at the village and stands there while the others interact.
Eruander looks at the oil with deep digust and assumes his human form (and takes a planar adaptation from Rollo if possible). "I suppose we should investigate this village if nothing else..." and Leander follows and says "I am not sure, it will takes us an hour or more out of way, we may find trouble we wouldn't have other. But I suppose, we might avoid trouble too, I will follow..." saying this, the psychic levitates 25' above the ground and follows
And the group carefully threads it's way toward the huts in the distance...
Then, after walking and flying about three of the four miles ahead, Eruander and the other sharp-eyed party members call a halt. Maybe 300' ahead, you notice a large shape momentarily peak above one of the noxious water pools that alternate with oil pools. Carefully, you scan the wide area - there's a crescent shaped zone where many if not all the pools seem to be filled enormous worm or lamprey like creatures, easily 3' in diameter and who know how long.
Moving carefully, you are able to avoid these with stealth and cunning and arrive at the first of the two group of huts. You can see this area is less noxious than the rest of the flats - there is some clean water and dry land but it's still only barely hospitable. You can see the villages have piled up a mound of shellfish as well as stacks of greens growing in the area. They are dressed in essentially rags with clothes covering their faces like you - they could be humans, elves or some other tall, thin races. One figure sees you and shouts out a wordless greeting as the other people rush up.
They seem like desperate refugees, they have likely been here for at most a few months, wherever they came from.
Gift glides down to meet them, she stands there looking around at the group. Clean and perfect her eyes glowing blue, she opens up her arms.
::"Greetings may we eneter your village"::
"Hello everyone!"
Rollo floats just above the ground, following the others into the hamlet. The Sage takes notice of the sparse accommodations around and the refugees.
Deferring to Strandel's area, the dhampir only offers a word or two of assistance.
Greetings to the hamlet. We are but travelers come to explore and meet peoples of the area.
With a friendly smile and wave, Azzim added his welcome, "Greetings! We are humble travellers passing through, have you been here long?"
He thought about offering his services as a healer, but he decided it was better to get the lay of the land first.
The villagers crowd around the party, at first not sure how to communicate but Rollo is able to decipher their language (which is most similar to Goblin but quite obscure). An older woman, who is their leader or wisewoman, speaks, "We are shargranti, we journeyed here when the water-vampires drained all of the village's wells but we were surrounded by the giant eels and have been here for three months, we estimate, the air is killing us slowly I think, can you help us to the further shore..." You are not sure if they are seeking the same you seeking and it's hard to know if they could survive the path back the way you came...
Gift feet land on the floor and where she walks the earth shakes a little.
"The shargranti, a new race. The multiverse is fickle and you have meet events that have seen you suffer. You suffer now with illness and are lost. And in your hour of need, the multiverse offers up us. Heros of legend, passing through, helping out. Doing what we can. If you wish away from here we can grant that wish, we ask only a little information in trade."
Rollo seems to be learning shargranti, as they are walk and talk.
water-vampires drained all of the village's wells; please tell us more of that portion of your story.
Where did you come from? It must have been quite a journey to get here, Terexaltherin asks the shargranti, curious. Is the other village over there like you, too?
To the group he says, I hope we can help them. Assuming they're really what they appear to be. Given the weirdness around here, they might have come here accidentally from another plane.
Eruender treats Hendra, the leader of the villagers and a couple others most affected by poison. "I have nothing more until tomorrow and do not know long we stay..."
The Shargranti know the creation myths of their world - it is supposedly the fourth the gods created for them but they came to the conclusion they needed to flee to a next world but no prophesies told them this, it was just obvious.
The water vampires are flying semi-humanoids acting to seize and dry-up wells, springs and other water-sources - slim, black-furred, 3-4' tall with fangs and talons, they are extremely difficult to kill and drain the water from the people they attach to.
The Shargranti describe their village, Adari and the small part of the world it was part of (ancient or medieval tech, some magic, often ritual magic). Several generation ago, Adari was part of the Kingdom of the Sun but this apparently fell or receded before any of the present villagers were born. The fall of the empire resulted in a slow increasing siege of Adari and this group along with the nearby village (which you haven't yet approach) decided to leave and evoked a spell found beneath the foundation stone of Adari's pantheon. (The other village seems to be something like a slightly different faction of the same group).
The Shargranti's journey involved about a week's walk through jungle with a few dangers but it only reached a crisis when they reached these oil-flats.
The group arrived in this area and carefully tried to cross it when the giant eels seems to appear and trap them in this middle, slightly hospitable area - they're living on shellfish and greens for the months they've been but they feel the vapors are gradually killing them.
Hendra still has a way-stone that points in the direction of the new land promised by the spell but it is not useful if they can't pass the eels.
"Well", Toric says as he claps his hands together in finality. "I guess we should go kill this eel then."
Azzim listened to the creation myths with fascination, afterwards he suggested to the others, "::These water vampires remind me of sturges, although they might be something else entirely. I suppose we could try to help out, but let's try and make sure we know what we're getting our selves into first though!"::"
He considered what they might be.
We need to help them get through here for sure, Terexaltherin insists, commitment firm in his thoughts. Do you think this oil burns? Would it spread a toxic cloud if it did? If not we might be able to burn these eel things out... but probably it wouldn't be safe, so we need to be careful with fire. Hmmm... maybe we should try talking with them? Everything else here has been intelligent enough to talk. Though... not exactly amenable to changing their behaviors. Electricity might work instead...
From what Azzim can gather, the water vampires are more like supernatural curse than a simple if noxious creature like a Stirge - they attach themselves to place like well and then can regenerate effectively. The Shargranti have left their native village and intend never to see the water vampires again.
The eels are Gargantuan (you estimate) and numerous, existing here in numbers far beyond what's rational for an ordinary predator, filling almost completely some number of the water pools of area. Of all the aberrant creatures in this area, they are perhaps the most noxious seeming, though you haven examined them in any great detail.
It was fairly easy for the party to evade the eels coming halfway across the flats - through stealth and flying. They seem to move from pool to pool only slowly. Getting the 20-30 villagers across the flat could be much harder or just a little harder.
Lighting the oil pools on fire seems difficult but possible. You'd guess the result would be huge fire storm destroying everything in the area. Even now, there are a few small fires here and there, burning off more flammable elements of the oil but they're nowhere near hot enough to light the bulk of the oil.
So, some approach that attacked the eels weaknesses might work; determine the laws of physics sufficiently conventionally electrify all the pools simultaneously, determine the planar of the eels' vitality (since it's clearly not natural)...
Having considered the local environment and the eels, Azzim suggested over the link "::I doubt the Shargranti are going to do well here, taking out the eels would essentially involve scorched earth tactics - do we really want to go there? Even if we did manage to clear them a space, this sort of planar environment would soon be filled with other horrors. Maybe we should consider offering them a lift to somewhere more benign? I could load up with plane shift spells and assuming that works I could send all of them to say Sigil with a few castings...::"
Rollo grins.
I could cast Dimensional Door 18 times, if needed, allowing myself and 3 persons each to travel 920 feet?
Yeah, it does seem like avoiding the things is the better idea... unless... hmm...
Terexaltherin flies back over to one of the eel pools--though he stays well above it. Do you sense anything odd on these things, <Shimmer>? he asks, thinking some kind of planar trickery might be going on with so much eel cramming in these ponds.
Azzim considers plane shift - normally it could take him and up to eight creatures to The Organization's "incoming" demi-plane. If Gift and another caster were involved, all of the Shargranti could be taken. But returning to this plane seems impossible - it would be the end of the plane-shifter's part in the quest and considering everyone is needed, likely it would involve abandoning the quest. You aren't sure how well the Shargranti would do in Sigil though the city tends to find a place for everyone. Basically, plane shifting would involve starting all over again, "hoofing" it back to Gamjee Town and losing contact with Leander.
The Organization has been able to contact the party on some earlier quests they've been on but the complete silence you've had so far gives an indication this is a "hard to reach" plane where The Organization's Planar Machinery just can't reach. You could try activating a "contact request" flair you have with The Organization but you'd have to wait and you don't know how long to wait or if you'd ever get a reply. The good news is you can't sense any barrier to plane shifting here so escape is possible. But it seems logical the Organization can't reach here - if it could, it wouldn't have sent you "the hard way".
The villages are 2 miles from the nearest of the borders of the Oil Flats, which are 5 to 7 miles across - except for a few entrances/exits, the borders of the oil flats seems to be impassible jungle. The area they're seeking is about 5 miles away (they believe they have an exit from the area). Eruander suggests to Rollo that walking across and having dimension door at ready as well as other protections, could be a plan.
<Shimmer> reports to Terex that this small demiplane - or sub-demiplane, is a cleverly constructed conduit for various elemental planes of destruction; the plane of shadows, the subplanes of oil and poison notably.
Oil Flats Map - remember 5 x 7 miles, the small v is the village.
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Terexaltherin flies back and reports on what he saw. Probably we should scout out a route that's as safe as possible and bring both villages at once if we can. Then we can protect them as we go, using dimension door and illusions and any magic we have that would block or distract those eels as needed. If we had ways to shape the terrain or move some of the water around we might be able to use that to clear the path some... anybody have any better ideas or something to add to this one?
::No, Teraxaltherin. Solid plan. Let's do it and get out of this zone!:: The satyr grinned through the hivemind.
Azzim considered this, "::I can prepare spells to move earth, to summon walls of stone forming a bridge in a pinch. Or to make a group walk in air or fly, although I can only take a dozen or so at a time.::"
Rollo nods in agreement to Eruander.
Gift helps the others move the villagers, using Psiports.
She never looks at anyone any more just looks ahead, if you try and tap into her v the hive mind you see an image of her from others view points all of them, veryone looking at her, but you also see her view on them. Just as you peek she comes into your minds eye view, she is there in have space and here in the real at the same time. Something is changing in Gift like she herself is a hivemind of other hers.
So, as word of the party spreads, the people of the second village gradually filter into the first village. In the end, it turns out there's only 25 people who need transport to the other side of the oil flats.
That afternoon, Terex, flying carefully and silently above the surface of the pools, is able to scout different paths the Shargranti could move to their destination (call the "upper" and "lower" paths, since North, South, East West mean nothing).
Each path has a couple points where it passes uncomfortably close to an Eel pool but they seem like the best that can be done.
The party rests, prepares spells and organizes groups that evening and sets out early the next day. It's strange to glimpse a sun in this demiplane but there it is, circular light that stays for fifteen minutes before vanishing into the fog.
So, dividing the Shargranti into two groups of 12 and 13 villagers, the party begins crossing the mud flats, following the trail of rocky crests that Terex has mapped out, an exercise that looks to 3-4 nerve wracking hours...
Gift takes he group of 12 and whenever a eels looks like its coming she Psi-Ports them 1300 feet to 1300 miles to move them past it.
She can do this 15 times
Toric sings songs of courage and overcoming adversity to calm yet bolster the Shargranti.
Terexaltherin flies above to keep an eye on where the eels are, though he keeps his web wand ready to slow down any of them that look like they're making a move.
Toric does his darnedest to guide the Shargranti that last half-mile to safety.
Terexaltherin helps all the big, clumsy bipeds navigate more stealthily.
Laurana has been impressed by Gift's abilities. Yes Azzim possibly could have transported the villagers but it would have been a brute force affair involving a great many spells. Gift on the other hand made it look easy.
Flying overhead she helped scout ahead.
Rollo bows to the real transporter!
I may need to expand my magic fields.
So the party sets out across the stinking oil flats and Gift expends the psychic power to transport an initial group of Shargranti to meet the rest near to the estimated point where the Shargranti can exit. Then Hendra activates her spell-created wayfinder and it appear you only have 1/2 a mile but near oily lagoons and the eels are a mile away and quiet. After threading through various dangers - foot long cockroaches and oil-quicksand - using a couple wall-of-stone bridges and other measure, the party arrives at the Shargranti's exit, Gift transports the remaining Shargranti and the group is ready to continue through a jungle demiplane path similar to what you have been following. As they group gives effusive thanks and prepares to depart, Eruander forms one of the logs he's carrying into a smaller, younger treant and gives it the task of guarding the group until they arrives at their new home. After they leave, Eruander mops his brow, saying, "That took much of my power for now. They now have a chance at arriving, however... and I will heal, though I hope we find a more natural area at some point..." then the party begins further investigation to discover their own exit according to Leander's instructions. With more flying and teleports, you find your exit also, located a mile away from Shargranti's but resembling it almost exactly, as it resembles the path you can on. "I hope they make it and hope that was the correct choice... and I hope passage back through here is quicker" Leander remarks.
So you continue for another two days or so. The path is usually 500' of planar stability on each side, with dense, aberrant jungle foliage on each side. At one point, it leads upward and grows almost intolerably hot but then goes suddenly steeply downward and ends in a wet, frozen area with a similar vegetation, this goes up and continues it's normally-hot and winding course.
Then on the afternoon of the seventh day, you spot an area ahead of you where the path narrows and jogs right and you can several horse-sized wolf-spiders lurking to either side.
Gift had been flouting along following the others, Transporting so many had taken a lot but over the last two days she was once more fully charged.
But as she spent more and more time on this path, each time she used her power her form seem to alter, shift, showing more of her ELan form.
She stopped as the others did and pointed, 4 of her crystal drones moved ahead out down the path.
Rollo speaks with the Shargranti during the travels through the stinking oil flats and Gift expends the psychic power to transport them easily through the dangers.
The Sage takes copious notes during their time together concerning the Shargranti and their people.
So you continue for another two days or so. The path is usually 500' of planar stability on each side, with dense, aberrant jungle foliage on each side. At one point, it leads upward and grows almost intolerably hot but then goes suddenly steeply downward and ends in a wet, frozen area with a similar vegetation, this goes up and continues it's normally-hot and winding course.
Then on the afternoon of the seventh day, you spot an area ahead of you where the path narrows and jogs right and you can several horse-sized wolf-spiders lurking to either side.
Rollo uses his wand of endure elements on himself and those that may need it during the journey.
Viewing the several horse-sized wolf-spiders lurking to either side of their current course, the Sage awaits for those of martial prowess to solve this issue....
He does pull out his wand of delay poison and he begins using it on himself and those that may also have need.
Rollo gets a good picture of the culture of the Shargranti and it's level of social, political and magical development. Still, it's not clear whether the disaster the village faced was local or faced their entire plane - they could just be a few villages forgotten by one dying empire which may be replaced by rising empire elsewhere.
Looking up at the wolf spring pack, Toric sighs and cast heroism on himself and draws his stained glass sword.
Terexaltherin thanks Eruander. I wish we'd been able to do more for them, but at least with your treant they should hopefully have a chance. he 'says'. I doubt we'll ever know if they make it, though...
He broadcasts a mental sigh when they spot the spiders. The little dragon carefully creeps up close enough for his telepathy . He tries reaching out to one of their minds to see if there's any chance of negotiating with them, even though he rather doubts it.
Azzim replied to Leander, "Whatever their ultimate fate, we shouldn't feel bad for trying to help and I genuinely believe we did help them and that that was the right thing to do. Maybe they'll be able to thrive now, maybe they won't but that's within their power to decide now, they're no longer so trapped by circumstance."
Later upon seeing the giant spiders Azzim's heart sank, he was a fan of spiders at the best of times. In preparation for a possible combat he whispered several spells, the first of which hardened his skin and the second allowed him to walk upwards as if there was a staircase.
"::Before this turns into a fight, I can forge a life link to heal any of you that need it passively.::
The group stands, looking cautiously at the spiders. Terex can feel an aberrant hunger in them akin to the huge snake - as well as a feeling of consuming pain in one.
Meanwhile, Gift's tiny drones sneak past the ambush and arrive at the path area beyond the spiders, sending back full video feed and coordinates. In the hive mind, Leander comments, "::So we can jump beyond now? We can use the coordinates for a simple jump? Why fight"
Just at that moment, Terex notices a thing about one of the spiders, the one in pain. It has an object embedded deep in it's armored chitinous abdomen - it seems to be a box or purse covered with flowery silk cloth - somehow untouched by dirt of the jungle or the trickle of hemolymph coming from mostly healed wound. The object gives every impression of having powerful magic even though you're out of range of detect magic.
She rises up into the air and shines like a blue star.
She sends,
::"I can relocate us past them if you so wish, or you can fight them, But I think you should talk to them at least before hostilities."::
::I'm good either way::, Toric flexes in the hivemind. ::But I can see why Terex would want to talk our way out of this situation. Oh! And Azzim! No need to link heal with me. I'm fine, thank you!::
Rollo slaps Strandel on the satyr's arse.
Good luck! Go git'em! Yea ha!
Rollo awaits for Terex' scouting to bare fruit....
As Gift rises up and shines, the spiders notice the party and move stealthily into the dense undergrowth of the jungle.
::"Well they seem to be like the snake, things that just hunger looking at the way they are acting. Taking up prey attack formation. I needless fight is a waste. I am going to relocate, If you wish to come with me please let me know"::
::Well..:: Toric sighed once again in the hivemind. ""If it is the decision of the group to avoid the fight, I will abide. Pan! I sure wasn't as bloodthristy as I am now before I became an adventurer. Sheesh!::
Curiosity tinges Terexaltherin's thoughts as he notices the powerful magic source on one of the spiders. ...and perhaps a bit of draconic greed.
Yeah, they're like the snake, unreasoning hunger that will probably drive them to attack sooner or later, he informs the others. But one of them seems to have a powerful magic item stuck in them. I'm going to try something...
Turning his telepathy towards the spiders, he 'says', We know you're coming. If you fight us, you will die. But I see that one of you is injured. If you will refrain from attacking us we can take care of that wound.